Depersonalization

[rainbowsmiles]

Has anyone out there ever suffered an attack of depersonalization? It is rare and usually follows a major panic attack. I'm just curious cause it has happened to me and it would be nice to find someone to discuss it with!

[Accountable]

Originally Posted by rainbowsmiles

Has anyone out there ever suffered an attack of depersonalization? It is rare and usually follows a major panic attack. I'm just curious cause it has happened to me and it would be nice to find someone to discuss it with!

If it's not too touchy to talk about, what exactly is depersonalization? I haven't heard of it.

[Peg]

Here's what I found:
According to DSM-IV, Depersonalization Disorder, in part, constitutes the following:

... a feeling of detachment or estrangement from one's self . The individual may feel like an automaton or as if he or she is living in a dream or a movie. There may be a sensation of being an outside observer of one's metal processes, one's body, or parts of one's body.

... Various types of sensory anesthesia, lack of affective response, and a sensation of lacking control of one's actions, including speech, are often present. The individual with Depersonalization Disorder maintains intact reality testing (e.g., awareness that it is only a feeling and that he or she is not really an automaton) . Depersonalization is a common experience, and this diagnosis should be made only if the symptoms are sufficiently severe to cause marked distress or impairment in functioning).

In addition to DSM-IV, another vital diagnostic tool, Merck's Manual, describes depersonalization clearly:



Persistent or recurrent feelings of being detached from one's body or mental processes and usually a feeling of being an outside observer of one's life.

Depersonalization is the third most common psychiatric symptom and frequently occurs in life-threatening danger, such as accidents, assaults, and serious illnesses and injuries; it can occur as a symptom in many other psychiatric disorders and in seizure disorders. As a separate disorder, depersonalization has not been studied widely, and its incidence and cause are unknown.2

There's a website with forums dealing with this. http://www.depersonalization.info/main.html

You may want to check it out rainbowsmiles and good luck to you.

Yah its a 'flashback'... I had em for a short time coming out of certain high stress situations. The panic feelin starts first then your body responds and theres not a gosh dern thing around to make it come on... I had three of them before I got them under control... to regain control I focused on one piece of reality, something tangible and concentrated on it from there you just rebuild every aspect of it reassuring yourself that it exists.... they teach that to you in debrifeings when soldiers come out of high conflict areas.

[rainbowsmiles]

Mine was much more severe. There was no getting back to reality for me until they found the right medication. I found a group of people who suffer from it and all are looking for a way out! But most of them suffer from it after using LSD or marajuana... that wasn't the case for me! I wonder why it happens

Originally Posted by rainbowsmiles

Mine was much more severe. There was no getting back to reality for me until they found the right medication. I found a group of people who suffer from it and all are looking for a way out! But most of them suffer from it after using LSD or marajuana... that wasn't the case for me! I wonder why it happens

It happend to me because for some unknown reason my body sensed I was back in a combat situation, and my body went into hyper drive, but around me there was no logical reason for it, it's a mind game.

For me it had nothing to do with drugs, Ive never taken any.

[rainbowsmiles]

Are you all better now or does it still creep up on you?

Thanks Peg, I appreciate the link! I will check it out!

[Nomad]

I have experienced this but infrequently, I didnt realize it was a condition. I think its happened when I was upset and for me perhaps its a triggered defense mechanism....not sure, but the mind has many ways of distracting your person and this might be one of them ???

Originally Posted by rainbowsmiles

Are you all better now or does it still creep up on you?

Thanks Peg, I appreciate the link! I will check it out!

Nope, all gone.... in fact I believe it helped me to sense my surroundings better now.

[Nomad]

Question for those who seem to know something about this.
My brother in law....I love him but can hardly be around him. If we golf he walks 5 steps ahead of me. If I ask him a question its 50/50 that Ill get an answer. Hes out there dreaming and isnt connected at all. Hes brilliant at work but in personal situations its like a black veil hanging over him.
Could this be his condition ?
Are there specific symtoms ?